Roughage mill



June 25, 1935. J. HOLLAND-LETZ ROUGHAGE MILL Filed Aug. 5, 1932 Wm Q Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROUGHAGE MILL poration of Indiana Application August 5,

7 Claims.

The present invention is directed generally to a roughage mill, but more particularly to an improved and compact form of roughage mill which is capable of producing a variety of different types of forage, and in which the capacity thereof is increased to a maximum.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel, improved and simplified construction of a roughage mill in which various types of grain may be ground separately and subsequently mixed with various types of other materials reduced by a cutting mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved, and also compact form of roughage mill, in which the number of parts thereof is reduced to a minimum and the various mechanisms arranged and constructed so as to occupy a minimum amount of space and yet produce a variety of types of forage.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction and arrangement of the various parts in the, manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the ap pended claims.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is an end elevational view partly in cross section showing the construction of my improved roughage mill, and

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the lines 2-2 in Fig. 1.

The present invention is directed to an improvement over my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,868,983, dated July 26th, 1932. It is also an improvement over my co-pending application Serial No. 585,850 filed January 11, 1932, now matured into Patent No. 1,967,313.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown my improved roughage mill as comprising a frame structure, generally indicated by the reference character I0, which is provided with suitable supporting legs II, mounted on, and secured to a base or platform I2 of any convenient form. Mounted in the main frame structure in suitable bearings therein is a main drive shaft I3 which has secured thereto a conventional form of rotary cutter head, generally indicated by the reference character I4. Surrounding the lower portion of the cutter head is a grate or concave I5 which extends from a cutter bar I6 to an upper rear portion of a cutter head housing I1. The main shaft I3 is journalled in suitable bearings formed in the end-wall members It and i 9 of the cutter head casing and in a supplemental bearing bracket 20. The supplemental bearing bracket has formed integrally therewith, a stub shaft support 2I, in which is mounted a stub 1932, Serial No. 627,555

shaft 22 for supporting an intermediate gear of a train of gears, generally indicated by the reference character 23. Secured to an intermediate portion of the main drive shaft I3, within a fan housing generally indicated by the reference character 24, is an elevating fan generally indicated by the reference character 25. Mounted on the other end of the shaft I3 is a rotary grinding member (not shown) which is encased within a grinding mechani m housing, generally indicated by the reference character 26. The grinding mechanism mounted within this housing is of the conventional form and it is believed that a more detailed description of the same is not necessary. Mounted between the grinding mech-- anism 26 and the fan housing 24 above the shaft I3 is a hopper, generally indicated by the reference character 2?, which is positioned above a conveying and crushing screw 28 which conveys the material from the hopper into the grinding mechanism. Extending forwardly from the cutter bar I6 is a conveyor frame, generally indicated by the reference character 29, which in turn is provided with the usual endless conveyor belt 3!} for conveying the material placed thereon to the rotary cutter head It. Positioned above the endless conveyor belt 30 is a floating feed belt generally indicated by the reference character 3!, over which is mounted a shield or hood 32. Extending tangentially from the fan housing 24 is a delivery conduit 33 which is connected by means of an elbow 34 to the hopper 21 for delivering the material cut by the cutter head into the hopper. Positioned below the cutter head I4 is a conveyor trough, generally indicated by the reference character it. Mounted in the conveyor trough 35 is a conveyor screw 36 which is journalled in the opposite ends of the conveyor trough and operatively driven through the train of gears 23. Located between the delivery end of the conveyor trough 35 and the fan housing 24 is a removable valve or plate 3'! which is secured in position by means of a bolt 38. This valve or plate 31 controls communication between the trough and the fan housing. Located directly below the cutter head and forwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft I3 is a mixing fan housing, generally indicated by the reference character 39. Mounted in the fan housing and secured to a shaft 4!, is a rotary fan 40. The shaft M is journalled in suitable bearings in the fan housing and frame of the roughage mill. Inclined upwardly from one side of the fan housing and communicating with an axial opening, as indicated at 42, is an inclined conduit generally indicated by the reference character #3. This conduit 53 is connected by means of a conduit 44 with the grinding mechanism 25 for the purpose of conveying the ground material from the grinding mechanism to the mixing fan casing 59. Cornmunicating with the trough 35 through the medium of a curved valve or plate 35 is a second inclined conduit it which has its lower end com" municating with the conduit at a point adjacent the fan housing 38, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Extending; tangentially from the fan housing 33 and in a posi tion vertically upwardly therefrom, is a discharge conduit ll which may be connected to any suitable receptacle for collecting the material there- It will, of course, be understood that the upper or outer end of the conduit 13 may be connected to a suitable separating mechanism of the construction illustrated and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 585,850, which may be readily substituted for the elbow 3t shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in which event the roughage mill herein described may be successfully operated in a manner similar to the operation of the construction described in this copending application.

The operation of my improved roughage mill herein described is as follows:

Let us assume that the valve or plate 3'." is removed and that the arcuate plate or valve '55 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The material is placed upon the conveyor 3B and is conveyed in the direction of the cutter head'where it is reduced by the cutter head and passed through the concave 55 into the conveyor trough 35, from where it is conveyed laterally by the conveyor screw 36 and elevated upwardly from the delivery end of the conveyor trough by the elevating fan 25 and discharged through the conduit 33 and elbow 3 1 into the hopper 2?. The material is then con veyed by the crusher and conveyor screw 28 into the grinding mechanism for further reduction. From the grinding mechanism the material is discharged through the conduit is into the conduit 43 where in turn it is conveyed and drawn into the mixing fan casing 39 and elevated through the conduit ll into a suitable receptacle. It will be observed that with the construction of the machine so arranged, additional grain or other material may be placed into the hopper and ground simultaneously with the material previously reduced by the cutting mechanism, for the purpose of making various types of forage. It will also be observed that the usual separating mechanism may be substituted for the elbow and positioned above and secured to the hopper 21 so that only the heavier material is passed through the grinding mechanism and the lighter material conveyed by means of an elbow in suitable conduit to the conduit 13, where it may be subsequently mixed with the material reduced in the grinding mechanism.

If the operator is desirous of conveying the cut material directly from the cutter head to the mixing fan mechanism without passing the same through the grinding mechanism, this may be done by inserting the valve 3? and removing the valve A5, in which case the material is cut by the cutter head M and conveyed by the conveyor screw to the delivery end of. the trough '35 where it will be discharged through the inclined conduit is into the conduit 23, and subsequently drawn in by the fan it to the fan casing 3E3. In this instance additional material, such as grain, may be placed in the hopper M where it will be ground by the grinding mechanism 2c and conveyed through the conduits 56 and d3 to be mixed with the rough material reduced by the cutter head.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple, compact and efficient roughage mill in which all the operating parts thereof are positioned with respect to each other so as to occupy a minimum space, with the mix ing fan mechanism located substantially below the medial center of the cutter head mechanism so that the material travelling from one mechanism to the other is not required to travel over an extended path. It will also be seen that the construction permits an adjustment of the roughage mill which is simple and efficient, so as to produce a variety of forage.

While in the above specification I have described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course be understood. that the same is capable of modification, and that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described cornprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a trough located below said cutting mechanism, a conveyor screw mounted in said trough for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting mechanism, a mixing ran mechanism located directly below said trough, and an inclined conduit extending from said mixing fan mechanism and communicating with said trough and with said grinding mechanism for directing the material from said grinding mechanism and said cutting mechanism into said mixing fan mechanism.

2. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a trough located below said cutting mechanism, means mounted in said trough for conveying the material laterally from said cutting mechanism, means for elevating the material from said trough to said grinding mechanism, a mixing fan mechanism located directly below said cutting mechanism, an inclined conduit communicating with said grinding mechanism and with one end of said trough and communicating with said mixing fan mechanism, and means for diverting the material from said cut ting mechanism into said grinding mechanism or directly into said mixing fan mechanism.

3. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a shaft common to said grinding mechanism and said cutting mechanism, a conveyor trough mounted below said cutting mechanism, a conveyor screw mounted in said trough for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting. mechanism, an elevating fan mounted on said shaft for elevating the material from said trough to said grinding mechanism, a valve for controlling the communication between said trough and said elevating means, a mixing fan mechanism located directly below said trough, an inclined conduit extending from one side of said mixing fan mechanism and communicating with said grinding mechanism and with one end of said trough, and a valve for controlling communication between said trough and said inclined conduit whereby the material may be diverted from said mixing fan mechanism into said grinding mechanism.

4:. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a conveyor trough located below said cutting mechanism for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting mech anism, a lifting mechanism mounted on said frame for lifting the material from said trough and directing it into said grinding mechanism, a removable valve located between said lifting mechanism and said trough, a mixing fan mechanism located directly below said cutting mechanism, an inclined conduit connected to the axial center of said mixing fan mechanism, a conduit connecting said grinding mechanism to said inclined conduit, and a second inclined conduit connecting the delivery end of said conveyor trough to said first named inclined conduit adjacent said mixing fan mechanism whereby the material may be conveyed directly from said cutting mechanism into said mixing fan mechanism.

5. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a conveyor trough located vertically below said cutting mechanism, a conveyor screw mounted on said trough for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting mechanism, an elevating fan mechanism mounted on said frame for elevating and conveying the material from said trough to said grinding mechanism, a removable valve for controlling communication between said trough and said elevating fan mechanism, a mixing fan mechanism including a fan casing mounted vertically below said cutting mechanism, an inclined conduit connected to the axial center of said mixing fan casing, a conduit connecting said grinding mechanism with said inclined conduit, a second inclined conduit connecting the delivery end of said trough with said first named conduit at a point adjacent said mixing fan casing, and an arcuate valve mounted at the delivery end of said conveyor trough for controlling communication between said trough and said second named inclined conduit.

6. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a shaft common to said grinding mechanism and said cutting mechanism, a conveyor trough located below said cutting mechanism, a conveyor screw located in said trough for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting mechanism, an elevating fan mechanism mounted on said shaft for lifting the material from said trough into said grinding mechanism, a valve located between said trough and said elevating fan mechanism, a mixing fan mechanism including a fan casing and rotary fan located below said cutting mechanism, an inclined conduit extending outwardly and upwardly from the axial center of said mixing fan casing, a conduit connecting said grinding mechanism with said inclined conduit, a second inclined conduit connecting the delivery end of said trough to said first named inclined conduit, and a removable arcuate valve located in the bottom of said trough for controlling communication between said trough and said second named inclined conduit.

7. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a conveyor trough located vertically below said cutting mechanism, a conveyor screw mounted in said trough for conveying the material laterally with respect to said cutting mechanism, an elevating fan mechanism mounted on said frame for elevating and conveying the material from said trough to said grinding mechanism, a removable valve for controlling communication between said trough and said elevating fan mechanism, a mixing fan mechanism including a fan casing mounted vertically below said cutting mechanism, an inclined conduit connected to the axial center of said mixing fan casing, a conduit connecting said grinding mechanism with said inclined conduit, a second inclined conduit connecting the delivery end of said trough with said first named conduit at a point adjacent said mixing fan casing, and a slidable valve mounted at the delivery end of said conveyor trough for controlling communication between said trough and said second named inclined conduit.

JOHN HOLLAND-LETZ. 

